


And They Walk Away

by katjh



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Implied Relationships, M/M, spoilers through ep 44
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-03
Packaged: 2018-05-31 01:00:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6449143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katjh/pseuds/katjh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Keyleth has some doubts about herself, about love, and about boys. Vex is there for some much-needed girl talk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And They Walk Away

Keyleth is drunk.

In the back of her mind, she wonders if she's been drinking too much too often lately. She remembers calmer nights keeping pace with Pike, who is a tiny gnome and tends to nurse one pint over the course of a couple of hours, the two of them watching the boys get increasingly intoxicated until eventually they get thrown out or Grog starts a fight. Vex usually manages to sweet-talk her way out of having to pay for damages sustained to the establishment, her charm turned up to eleven when she's had a few drinks.

Grog's still calling for another round at this point, so Vex slides in next to Keyleth and nudges her gently with an elbow.  
"Why the long face, Keyleth?" Vex asks. Her eyes are bright and her words clear. Vex is a girl who can hold her liquor.  
"It's nothing," Keyleth says hurriedly. They're supposed to be enjoying themselves and she doesn't want to ruin it for anyone.  
Vex rolls her eyes. "Please, Keyleth. You wear your emotions on your..." She glances down at Keyleth's bare arms and finishes, "Well, it's not hard to read you at all."  
Keyleth shakes her head and pulls her drink closer. "Just stupid stuff, Vex. Seeing Zahra and-and Kashaw, that just made me think... It's not important."  
"Oh." Vex's face breaks into a grin. "Oh, Keyleth. Thinking about that kiss from Brother Kash?"  
Keyleth squirms a little and buries her reddening face in her drink. "Not... Exactly?" Her voice is high and nervous. Vex is so good at getting information out of people and Keyleth's kind of talkative when she's drunk; she already knows she's said too much and that Vex will seize on every awkward syllable.  
"C'mon, Keyleth. Girl talk. Right here. Forget that Vax is my brother and just talk to me."  
She's defenseless. "Vex, why do people kiss me and leave?" Keyleth asks, trying not to sob. "Kashaw... He gave me my first kiss, and that was the last we saw of him for ages. And Vax kissed me and once I tried to talk to him about it, he walked away! And he's always flirted with Gilmore, and I don't know but I feel like that attack on Emon, like us rescuing Gilmore..." She hiccups and wipes tears away. "And Kashaw is looking at Vax like, like... Oh, Vex, what's wrong with me?"

Vex works hard not to laugh. Oh, by the gods, she can't wait to tell Zahra about this later. "Darling, there's nothing wrong with you." _Yes, I get it, she's so fucking beautiful!_  briefly echoes sarcastically in Vex's head, her own voice haunting her thoughts, but she ignores it. "Boys are silly. They never know what they want or how to show it. And my brother is a complete dolt when it comes to emotions and romance. Kash and Vax both think you're beautiful, but--and don't tell them I told you this, darling, but they're both afraid of beautiful, powerful women."  
Keyleth sniffles. She can feel Vex's hand rubbing gentle circles on her back. It's embarrassing, really: here she is, tearing up over a couple of boys when her people--the Ashari and the citizens of Emon--have been devastated by attacks. "So... I haven't... It's not me? Even though Kash was flirting with Vax?"  
Vex holds back a sigh. "Don't concern yourself with that," she says. "I think Kash's issues stem from something far more complicated than a love triangle with you and my brother."  
"You're probably right," Keyleth says. She sniffs again and starts wiping her tears away. She knows she must look awful: her cheeks and nose a blotchy red, her eyes puffy. "Thank you, Vex."  
"It's nothing," Vex says, waving a hand dismissively. "Now, how about you drink some water and we leave the boys here to make fools of themselves? They can pick up the tab for once."  
Keyleth grins shakily. "I think that'd be good," she says. Vex takes her drink and downs it in a gulp, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand, and signals to the bartender to come by. It'll be a long road to freeing Emon--and the rest of Tal'Dorei, really--from the dragons, but as long as their weird, fucked up little family can stick together, Vex believes it'll be fine.


End file.
